Investigation of Possible Solvents for Extracellular Polysaccharides from Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis

Abstract
The solubilities of extracellular polysaccharide fractions produced by 14 oral streptococcal strains were compared in water, aqueous lithium and guanidine salt solutions, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and a 9:1 DWSO-water mixture. The best results for solubilizing the fractions were obtained with the DMSO-water mixture procedure, which used the water and DMSO in sequence. By this method all of the fractions were solubilized.